Case for cigarettes and like articles and blank for forming the same



c. B. 'OVERBAUGH v 2,799,033 CASE FOR CIGARETTES AND LIKE ARTICL E$ mo BLANK FOR FGRMING THE SAME, Filed Jan. 29. 1953.

Fig. I

I l l l I I l I I I I l l I INVENTOR.

Charles B. Overhaugh BY WHITEHEAD a VOGL PER ,ZMAZ

ATTORNEYS May 24, 1955 c. B. OVERBAUGH 2,709,033 CASE FOR CIGARETTES AND LIKE ARTICLES AND BLANK FOR FORMING THE SAME Filed Jan. 29, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvm. 29 Charles B. Overbaugh y WHITE-HEAD 8| VOGL PER My ATTORNEYS United States Patent CASE FOR CIGARETTES AND LIKE ARTICLES AND BLANK FOR FORMING THE SAL IE Charles B. Overhaugh, Denver, Colo.

Application January 29, 1953, Serial No. 334,060

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-16) This invention relates to containers, and more particularly to containers adapted to hold cigarette packages and similar articles for display purposes, having as an object the provision of a simply-constructed container of neat appearance, formed from a flat sheet blank where in a cigarette package or similar article may be inserted, for display purposes.

Other objects of this invention are to provide an improved construction of a container for the display of cigarette packages and similar articles which: (a) is formed from a simply cut sheet blank by simple folding operations; (b) provides suitable plain surfaces adapted to carry advertising matter upon various faces thereof; (0) is adapted to be placed upon a table or hung upon a wall bracket; (d) is so economical in cost that it may be used as a disposable unit; (e) may be adapted to hold a book of matches in conjunction with'a cigarette package; and (f) may be formed of blanks which can be solidly stacked together for shipment and storage prior to actual use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, all of which shall more fully hereinafter appear, my invention comprises certain novel constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts and elements as hereinafter described and as defined in the appended claims, and illustrated, in preferred embodiment, in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is an isometric front and side view of my improved container with a package of cigarrettes therein.

Figure 2 is an isometric rear and side view of the container itself.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the container.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation view of the container.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation as viewed from the indicated line 55 at Fig. 4 but on an enlarged scale.

Figure 6 shows a blank from which the container may be formed.

Figures 7 through 12 are similar to Figs. 1 through 6 respectively, but showing an alternate construction of the container.

Figure 7 is an isometric front and side view of the alternate form of container with a package of cigarettes therein.

Figure 8 is an isometric rear and side view of the alternate form of container.

Figure 9 is a plan View of the alternate form of container.

Figure 10 is a rear elevation view of the alternate form of container.

Figure 11 is a sectional elevation as viewed from the indicated line 1111 at Fig. 10.

Figure 12 shows a blank which may be folded into the alternate form of container.

There is a definite need and use for containers for holding cigarette packages and similar small articles which are adapted for advertising and display purposes, for holding a package of cigarettes upon a table or hook and for combining, with the package, means for holding a book of matches. Such a container must be neat in appearance, economical in cost and adapted to be compactly packed for shipment and storage. With such factors in view, the present invention was conceived and 5 developed, and comprises, in essence, a blank of sheet material which may be folded into an open-top, box-like unit of a suitable size to receive a cigarette package or other article as hereinafter described in detail.

Referring to the construction illustrated at Figs. l-6 of the drawing, the open-top box-like unit 10 comprises a rectangular front wall 11 having a width slightly greater than the width of the broader side of a cigarette package 12 which is adapted to be inserted within the unit, rectangular side walls 13 having a width slightly greater than the narrower sides of the cigarette package, a rear wall 14 of substantially the same size as the front wall, and a bottom 15. The height of the respective walls 11, 13 and 14 is the same with a common rim edge 16 at the top of the unit, and the corners joining the walls are folds to provide a clean-cut neatly-appearing unit 10. The front wall 11 and side walls 13 are formed of a single layer of sheet material from which the unit is made and these walls are well adapted to receive printing such as advertising matter. In addition, the front wall 11 is provided with a slot 17 below and in spaced parallelism with rim 16 which is ,of sufiicient length to receive the tab of a match book to enhance the utility of the unit when it is used? for holding cigarette packages, the installation of a match book not being shown in the drawing since such expedient will be obvious to anyone using the article.

This unit 10 is formed from a single blank of sheet material, the ends of the blank being folded overlappingly around the unit to be joined together at the rear wall 14 as hereinafter described. The blank is formed as a rectangular strip having a Width equal to the height of the walls and a length in excess of the periphery of the unit, with one unbroken edge defining the rim 16, the edge 23 being broken by an outstanding opposing parallel tab por tion defining the bottom 15, from which extends a triangular connector tab 18 and edge tabs 19 as hereinafter described in detail.

The rectangular front wall 11 is centered in this rectangular blank and is bounded on one edge by the rim 16, on the side edges by fold lines 20, which define the corners between the front wall and side walls 13 when the unit is folded into position, and a fold line 21 which defines the connecting edge between the front wall and the bottom 15. The slot 17 is formed in this portion coincident with the cutting of the blank in any conventional manner.

The rectangular side walls 13 are symmetrically positioned on the blank at each side of the front wall with a fold line 20 defining one edge of a wall, the rim edge 16 defining an adjacent edge, a fold line 22 defining an edge opposite and parallel to the fold line 20 and the blank edge 23 opposite the rim 16 defining the fourth edge. The

fold lines 22 define the corners between the side walls 13 and the rear wall 14, and the blank extends beyond each fold line 22 to form a rectangular area which, when folded, becomes a part of the rear wall 14, said areas being designated as 1411 and 14b at Fig. 6. These areas are nearly the same width as the rear wall 14 to provide a substantial overlap at the rear wall when the blank is folded into position. These areas 14a and 14b include slots 24 which lie parallel to the rim edge 16 at approximately the quarter point of the wall near the rim edge 16 and which lie in mutual registration, when the blank is folded into a unit with areas 14a and 14b in overlapped position. The slots being in registration will receive the connector tab 18 as hereinafter described.

The rectangular bottom 15 is bounded at the front by 3 the fold line 21 along which line it is connected with the front wall. The side edges, perpendicular to the front edge at line 21, are defined by fold lines 25 which connect the bottom with enclosing side tabs 19 which fold upwardly and inwardly against the side walls 13 when the blank is folded into a unit. The rear edge, which lies against the lower edge 23 of the rear wall 14 when the unit is folded together, is defined by a fold line 26 parallel with the fold line 21.

This fold line 26 defines the base of the connector tab 18 which is formed as an isosceles trapezoid of the same height as the height of the walls so that the apex edge 27 will lie at the rim edge 16 when the tab is folded upwardly into locking position and through the slots 24 as clearly illustrated at Fig. 2. An orifice 28 is located in the connector tab 18 in a centered position below the portion of the tab which will enter the slots 24 to provide means for hooking the unit in position where desirable.

A large number of these flat blanks may be stacked together for compact packaging for shipment and storage, and when a unit is needed it is but a simple matter to make the necessary folds at the fold lines 20, 21, 22, and 25 to shape the unit and to move the tabs 19 within the unit 10 as clearly illustrated. Then, as a final step, the connector tab 18 is folded upwardly and the apex edge 27 of the tab is threaded through the slots 24 to lock the elements together. It is to be noted that this operation may be accomplished with the unit alone or the unit may be wrapped about a package of cigarettes during the assembly if desirable.

The alternate construction illustrated at Figs. 7-12 is a similar open-top box-like unit 10' wherein the front wall 11, side walls 13, and bottom 15 are of the same construction as the unit above described and illustrated at Figs. l-6, the variation being in the construction of the rear wall 14' and in the elements constituting this rear wall. The blank, Fig. 12, is so proportioned that the areas 14a and 14b which extend beyond the fold lines 22 to form the real wall 14' are of such length that there is no overlap, and the terminal edges 29 abut to gether with the unit folded into position to provide a continuous surface. Each area 14a and 14b is provided with slots 24 which necessarily lie apart when the real wall is formed, and thus the connector tab 18' must also be modified from the construction hereinbefore described.

The connector tab 18' base is defined by the fold line 26 as in the construction hereinbefore described; however, the tab extends from this base as a rectangular member having a pair of trapezoidal tooth-like projections 30 at the top portion which terminate as flat edge portions 27 having the same height as that of the unit to be aligned with the rim edge 16 as hereinbefore described in regard to edge 27 of tab 18. Each projection 30 is so formed as to fit in a slot 24' when the unit is folded into position, all as clearly shown at Fig. 8.

While 1 have described and illustrated many details of construction, it is apparent that others skilled in the art can devise alternative and equivalent constructions which are within the scope and spirit of my invention; hence, it is my desire that my protection be limited only by the proper scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An open-top box-like container formed from a single-piece fiat blank and having a bottom and front, side and rear walls, one of said walls being composed of three portions of said blank, two of said portions lying in the same plane with their edges abutting and the third portion being adapted to lie against said two portions, said two portions having slots th rein and said third portion having two projections each of which is inserted through one of said slots.

2. A blank for a box-like container comprising a rectangular strip having one unbroken side edge, parallel fold lines perpendicular to said side edge and defining a front wall at the central portion of said strip, side walls at each side of said central portion and rear wall portions beyond the side wall portions, a bottom portion projecting from said central portion opposite said unbroken edge, a fold line between said central and bottom portions, an extension tab laterally beyond said bottom and reduced in width at its free end and a fold line between said bottom portion and said tab and slots in the rear wall portions in spaced parallelism with said unbroken edge, said rear wall portions being aggregately of the same width as the front wall, said extension tab being doubly pointed at its free end, said points being formed as isosceles figures having widths, at the same distance from the bottom portion as are the slots, not greater than the lengths of the slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 173,214 Devine Feb. 8, 1876 398,971 Meyer Mar. 5, 1889 1,223,013 Wilson Apr. 17, 1917 1,305,544 Hoffeldt June 3, 1919 2,059,382 Match et al. Nov. 3, 1936 2,117,342 McPherson May 17, 1938 2,226,736 Neklutin Dec. 31, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 324,721 France Dec. 20, 1902 

